Only Half Angel
by AllRoadsLeadTo
Summary: During summer camp, Taylor gets lost in the woods and finds herself in a strange, dark world full of dangers and must join with a band of seven heroes in order to find her way back home.
1. Fear Will Find You

**Only Half Angel (Diablo/Worm)**

During summer camp, Taylor gets lost in the woods and finds herself elsewhere….

For the curious, this will use a mixture of Diablo lore and gameplay mechanics, with a dash of stuff I made up to make things interesting. Be ready for a Nephilim!Taylor eventually.

1\. Fear Will Find You

She was lost. Taylor had walked down one of the forest paths away from summer camp, but she had become turned around. She couldn't' tell where she was, and more worryingly she couldn't tell how to get back. She began walking faster and faster as panic build up within her until she burst into a wild sprint, calling and then screaming for help, for someone to find her as the sun was inexorably dragged towards the horizon. Fear settled down around her, smothering her breath and her sight as night descended upon her. She tripped on a root and fell, hitting the ground hard enough to send shocks of pain through her. She tried to stand, but searing hot pain stabbed into her ankle and toppled her. She lay on the ground, barely able to breathe as dark clouds hung over the forest, ready to drown it in despair. She couldn't move, she couldn't catch her breath, she couldn't get back.

And that's when she felt Terror.

+OHA+

Taylor awoke to the sounds of a crackling campfire and opened her eyes to see a large bonfire before her.

"She's awake," a woman said.

"Good, there is much we must learn from her," a man said. As Taylor shifted she saw a man come step from around the fire and walk up to her. When she saw him, she was unnerved, he wore dark armor decorated with what looked like bones and in the light of the fire he almost looked like he was already dead. He crouched in front of her, holding his hands splayed before her to show they were empty. "Where are you from and why are you here, child?" he asked with a quiet voice and a strange accent.

Taylor looked at him with wide eyed fear. It was obvious he was some kind of cape, and judging from his armor's macabre theme he was either a villain or a _very_ intimidating hero. The silence dragged on for a long moment before she stammered, "I-I was lost in the woods. I'm from Brockton Bay."

"You are very lost to have would up here," the woman said as she walked up to meet them. She was dark skinned compared to the man's pale skin and she wore a green skirt and long sleeved shirt that left her abdomen exposed. She also had long brown hair with a gold circlet and carried a wooden staff with a purple crystal on the end of it. "These are no woods for a child to be lost it."

Taylor turned back when she saw the man hold his right hand over her. "I believe that these _aren't_ the woods she was lost it," he said. "We felt the trace of power when we found her, and she has that same power within her and on her. I believe she teleported her, or was perhaps brought here."

"I teleported?" Taylor asked in confusion, latching onto the comment that made the most immediate sense to her.

The woman crouched next to her and frowned. "I know not of a place called Brockton Bay. Though I am new to these lands myself," the woman explained, "you must have come from a distant land for that to be the case."

"Very distant," the man mused. "What is the name of the realm you call home?" he asked Taylor.

"Uh… America?" Taylor replied uncertainly. Their accents didn't sound American, exactly, so where was she? In fact, there was something odd about how they spoke, but she couldn't put her finger on it….

The man hummed in thought before asking another question, "What do you call the world you call home?"

Taylor was confused, but at the same time she had a sinking feeling, the fear was back inside and around her. "Earth. Why?"

"Or world is called Sanctuary," he replied solemnly and she could hear the pity and regret in his voice and see it on his face as he spoke. "I'm afraid you're far from home."

"No! No!" Taylor denied, that fear from before clawing at her insides. "You're lying, that can't be right!" She scrambled to her feet and looked around. The campfire was in a clearing surrounded by two low rises on either side and darkened trees in all directions. She couldn't see far in the night, but there was a path opposite the fire from her. In her fear, she took off at a sprint, ignoring the calls of the two.

She dashed through the dark forest, the two of them following closely behind. She wanted to get away, go back. They had to be lying.

Then she heard a sound like someone spitting or coughing, and suddenly pain stabbed through her arm. Taylor fell the ground screaming as she heard the two cry out and several more of the coughs. Taylor clutched her arm, and through the incredible pain, she felt her hand touch something wet. Then she felt another spike of pain stab her stomach and she cried out louder still as red and white light played around the forest. Taylor looked down at her abdomen and saw a long needle-like spike sticking out of her. Even with the brightly flashing lights, her vision started to darken.

Then she heard a deafening roar and a huge, incredibly muscular man wearing a loincloth, boots, leather armguards, shoulder pads and some extraneous straps crashed down from the sky next to her. He turned to her, ignoring the spike the bounced off his head as he crouched in front of her. He quickly yanked out the needles embedded in her abdomen and arm, sending shocks of even more pain through her. She writhed in pain until she felt him press her down, and she heard his authoritative voice declare, "Take this, it will heal you!" He held a vial full of red liquid to her lips. When she opened her mouth, he poured it in, and before she could swallow or choke she began to feel the pain begin to lessen. Shocked, Taylor swallowed the liquid and saw the man, who she now noticed had curving blue lines tattooed on his body, nodded before crying out and leaping above the trees in the direction the needle had come from. A moment later she heard a crash and a shriek, and then the forest fell silent.

With the pain fading, Taylor stood up. A stray thought occurred to her: was this why she didn't feel her twisted ankle from earlier? She cautiously poked the hole in her bloodied shirt when she had been impaled. Her skin was whole and healthy.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the two from before walking up to her cautiously and she demanded of them: "What was that!?"

"Spike Fiends, dangerous pack predators in these parts," the woman explained.

"Spike fiends?" Taylor asked in confusion.

There was another thump as the muscular man from before crashed into the ground beside her and dropped two carcasses on the ground, one a deer and one a four limbed and long tailed creature with long spines along its back like the needle that had been shot into her. The monster was clearly dead from some sort of cut to its head.

"Oh," Taylor said.

"You did not know of these creatures before coming here?" the muscular man demanded, shooting a dark look at the other two.

"No, Barbarian," the first man said, "she was somehow teleported here, perhaps through an accidental use of her own power. However, it is clear that she is from very distant lands."

The Barbarian, as he had been called, looked down at Taylor with assessing eyes before replying, "Do either of you intend to help her return to her homelands?"

"I fully intend to," the woman replied, "but my talent with elemental magic doesn't lend itself to this endeavor. The Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye is nearby, perhaps they would be of help? They would at least be able to point us towards those who could help us."

"I have heard that the last of the Horadrim makes his home in Tristram, the town from which this darkness is rumored to originate," the first man added. "If anyone were to know a solution, it would be him."

"You'll help me get home?" asked Taylor with a mixture of uncertainty and hope at the thought of the surreal situation coming to an end.

The Barbarian nodded. "I swear on my name Chilanik of the Shadow Wolf Tribe that I will see you returned to your homeland, young one." He hefted the two carcasses. "Now come, when I saw your camp fire I hunted this deer so that we might share food and stories, and now we shall taste Spike Fiend as well!" With that he strode off towards the camp fire.

"Do you even know what that tastes like?" the woman asked after him.

+OHA+

"Tastes like chicken," Taylor said after her first cautious bite of the Quill Rat, apparently the subspecies of Spike Fiend that attacked them.

"To me, it tastes like victory," Chilanik proclaimed.

"Indeed," the man armored in bones agreed. His eyes focused on Taylor. "However, this world is a dangerous place and you nearly died." Taylor shrank back at the unpleasant memories. "You have the Potential, so I shall train you as best I can that you might survive until your return home." As this all three others looked at him questioningly.

"The Potential?" Taylor asked, having heard the emphasis on the word.

"It is the ability to channel and use one's inner power," the woman, who had introduced herself as the sorceress Isendra, said. "All of us have our own pool of Mana through which we work great feats, from my fires to Chilanik's leaps and blows, all living things have Mana and can use it. Not many can or learn to use it to its fullest extent, but the fact that your own power brought you here means that your potential is great." She glanced at the last man. "While the Necromancer's power is great in its own way, I feel that you might be better suited to elemental magic than his own dark powers."

The Necromancer shrugged. "We do not have the time to teach her sophisticated techniques, I intend to teach her the simplest applications of my abilities so that she might defend herself." He gestured towards the trees with left hand as his right was holding a dagger upon which rested a slice of venison. Glowing white fangs flew from his free hand and tore into several trees along the edge of the clearing.

"If you both will be teaching her to use her 'potential' for magic, then I will teach her how to really fight," Chilanik declared. "Relying on magic weakens one's resolve, and if her potential is as great as you claim then I will turn her into a great warrior, even if she is not one of my people."

The Necromancer nodded. "There are few better than the Barbarians when it comes to skill at arms, though the evil that has come to this land means that we should be wary of putting her in danger until she is ready."

Chilanik scoffed. "I know this, Necromancer, fear not. I have given my word, she will be safe."

"Very well then," the Necromancer agreed. He then turned to Taylor. "We'll give you your first lesson, Taylor. I want you to close your eyes and focus your mind."

"Okay," Taylor said before closing her eyes.

"I want you to focus on that same feeling you had when you first teleported," the Necromancer commanded. "That was you using your personal mana to either teleport yourself or call on some other force to teleport you here." Taylor concentrated on the memories of chocking fear. She concentrated enough to feel its creeping return. Eventually the Necromancer continued. "Your mana is a part of you, it is who you are. Be aware that you can shape it and control it. However that is not this lesson. Instead, I want you to reach out with your mana. It is a sixth sense that few learn to master, though all of us here have. You should be able to see this entire clearing in your mind's eye. When you're ready I want you to tell us where Isendra has moved too without opening your eyes and where my other companion is."

Taylor concentrated on the fear, and focused on it; trying to make the creeping fear calm down and slowly the choking darkness in her mind subsided and became a dark window that looked down on the clearing from above. She could see a vaguely Isendra-shaped and colored figure standing near the trees at the edge of the clearing. "She's at the edge of the clearing, over there," Taylor said, pointing.

"Not exactly, I'm a little to your left," Isendra corrected, "but still good for someone so new to using your mana." Taylor corrected where she was pointing, and Isendra chuckled. "Now, Taylor, where is our Necromancer's friend?"

Taylor concentrated and the window reformed in her mind. When she looked through it, she first saw Chilanik and started to point at him, but stopped when she saw something move in the undergrowth. "There's something in the undergrowth, over there," she pointed out worriedly.

"Yes, it's his 'friend,'" Chilanik informed her. "A petty creature he brought to life with his magics."

"Petty creature?" the Necromancer asked incredulously. "It tore apart Quill Rats just as easily as you did."

"Bah, they are weak beasts so that is no great feat," Chilanik argued.

Taylor opened her eyes and looked over to where her mind's eye had shown the creature. It was dark, but she saw a metallic gleam in the darkness under the trees. It moved out of cover and she gasped. It looked like it was made out of pieces of metal that had formed together into a humanoid shape. Despite its humanoid appearance it was clearly not human and it lumbered into the fire's light. It stopped a short distance into the clearing.

"This is my golem whom I created from a magical steel war hammer I found for sale in my travels," the Necromancer said. "He is a loyal servant created by my power and will protect us in the night while we sleep." He looked at Taylor and continued, "It's a complicated ritual that requires some skill with Necromancy and some knowledge of Prime Magic, but I can perhaps teach you to achieve a lesser form if you remain with us long enough."

"It is better for her to rely on her own prowess," Chilanik countered. "However, it is late and we should sleep."

"Indeed," agreed Isendra. "We can instruct her more when in the morning."

With that, they all turned in shortly thereafter, with Chilanik donating his fur cloak to Taylor, citing the fact that he didn't need it to sleep comfortably, used the wilderness as he was.

Taylor lay on the ground watching the fire for what felt like a long time before drifting off to sleep on that strange world. She had always wanted to have powers and be a super hero like Alexandria, but was it worth it if the price was being dropped in a strange fantasy world? She didn't think so, she just wanted to go back home to her dad and Emma. She hoped they would find the Sisterhood or the Horadrim soon so she could go back.

+OHA+

A/N: So, that was an introduction to the story Only Half Angel. I wrote it while I was waiting to hear back from someone who is collaborating with me on the A Big Enough Lever (Worm/Leverage) crossover story. All of the player characters are roughly the equivalent of roughly 50th level characters that just started Nightmare difficulty, while Taylor is a lowly first level equivalent, though she happens to be able to learn skills from the characters willing to teach her, though that doesn't make things pleasant for her in the slightest. After all, if she wants to see home again she'll have to literally go through Hell itself.

Also, does anyone have any good names for the Necromancer, the Assassin, the Paladin, the Druid and the Amazon? They should really have some.

+OHA+


	2. Languish in Anguish

**Replies to ****Reviews:**

Bluesnowman: Thank you.

Guest: I'll keep that in mind suggestion in mind. As for Taylor's power, in sheer terms of the in-story analogue to skill and attribute points? Yes, she'll eventually get there, but she won't end up with the same depth of skill as any of them, rather she'll be picking things up from all of them. "Jack of All Trades, Master of None." It has its advantages in terms of flexibility and versatility, but it means she won't be able to pull out really hard hitting techniques any time soon, and maybe not for a long time. Its like how in Diablo 2 you basically have to pick between a bunch of decent abilities, or a few really good ones, the farther into the game you go.

TakashiTheNXT: Thank you. As for the Diablo 3 characters, technically she's pick ups stuff from one of them.

But more seriously, she probably won't be running into them into them until after the Diablo 2 story arc has wrapped up. Those guys are basically the next generation of heroes after all. People with the same "classes" might show up in the story earlier than the Diablo 3 heroes did chronologically speaking. Her learning from the Crusader and Monk would be cool to see.

Actually, she might qualify as a Wizard, since the main thing for them is that they don't have formal training with their magic, and she did end up being or getting teleported. However, she'd need some reason to try to develop magic spells independently of what her companions have to offer. I wonder what could possibly make that happen?

T-B-R: Yes, yes it is. Imagine what the PRT and Cauldron on Earth Bet would be willing to do if or when they hear about this.

* * *

_**2\. Languish in Anguish**_

Taylor ducked behind a log as a pack of Quill Rats fired spines at their group. The log unfortunately wouldn't do much good as it seemed the pack was led by a larger than normal Quill Rat which to her sixth sense radiated power in a way the others didn't. Isendra had explained that humans were not the only ones that had Potential, and that sometimes creatures of the world would develop abilities well above the norm for their kind. Clearly this particular Quill Rat was one such creature as it fired burning quills clean through the tree trunks of the forest they were fighting in.

Already the sparks from its quills had set some fallen leaves alight and fire was spreading and the heat was coming uncomfortably close to her, but Taylor remained where she was. Taylor wasn't sure if the large Quill Rat could see her, but given the fact that it hadn't hit her yet, she was assuming not. She concentrated on her mana, clearing it into the dark, three dimensional image of her surroundings. The Quill Rats had apparently decided to ignore her in favor of Chilanik, who had leapt clear through the trees and dropped into the middle of their group. He swung at the large Quill Rat with has two handed axe hard enough to knock it into a tree which had been what Taylor judged to have been three feet behind the creature. Unfortunately, upon being hit it released a blast of lightning which swept through the forest, causing Taylor to flinch back as the blast almost reached her before fading into nothing more than a slight tingle.

With her concentration broken, Taylor had to refocus her sixth sense in order to see what was happening. Even if she was trapped here until she could find a way home, Taylor didn't want to just be a burden on the others. She needed to do _something_, but she had no idea what. That morning, she had been able to call up some sparks with her mana when Isendra tried to teach her some elemental magic, but Taylor had a feeling that some sparks wouldn't be much help here. Elemental ice might have been useful, or even the Necromancer's Teeth spell, but she didn't know how to do those and with the oppressive heat of the nascent forest fire she didn't think she'd have much success concentrating on cold.

Maybe she could move the fires that were already there?

She didn't actually know how to do that, but given all of the strange things mana could do, it had to be possible. But how?

Taylor knew she didn't have much mana, especially compared to Isendra. When they had passed a long abandoned farm house, Isendra had shown Taylor what elemental magic could do compared to Necromancy or the Barbarian's martial prowess by calling down from the sky a staggeringly large ball of fire which had utterly destroyed the farm and lit the surrounding fields on fire. Taylor had been knocked off her feet and temporarily deafened and even the Necromancer had been staggered while Chilanik had just stood there and scoffed at her 'showing off.' Taylor had been shocked at his casual disregard for such a display, but seeing him shrug off the large Quill Rat's lightning explosion, maybe he really was tough enough not to be bothered by getting hit by an exploding fireball from the sky. Or maybe he was just showing off.

Taylor shook her mind clear and focused on the task at hand. Even if she couldn't create enough fire or make it what little fire she could make hot enough to hurt the Quill Rats, maybe she could distract them… or better yet, direct the preexisting fires towards them. Sure, Isendra's sorcery seemed to be fire and release, but there had to be a way to control the fire. Taylor just needed to figure it out before she burned to death. Simple, right?

Fire wanted to spread, so Taylor just needed to make sure it spread in the right direction. She imagined reaching out and suffusing her mana into the shadowy image of the world her sixth sense provided, wrapping the forest fire in it like a hand around a ball, and pulling in the direction of the ongoing fight. She could feel her strength draining out of her and the fire had stopped spreading in any other direction, but it was only slowly creeping towards the ongoing fight.

Gritting her teeth, Taylor pulled harder, willing the fire to move to help Chilanik. _'Get over there and help him!'_

The drain of her mental strength increased as her sixth sense dissolved into darkness, leaving her powerless and without any idea what was happening. Taylor threw back her head and cried out in frustration as the fire roared around her with oppressive heat.

Taylor slumped and looked in the direction of the fight, seeing that the trees in the direction of fight had disappeared into the fire, which had continued spreading in Chilanik's direction. However, it was still all around her, which was a problem as Taylor was already surrounded by painfully hot air, and it was only getting warmer.

And she had no way to get out without her mana. _'Maybe I should have thought this through.'_

Taylor quickly reached into the leather pouch Chilanik had given her (he had said he would replace it with the skins from the deer that they had eaten last night, which made Taylor uncomfortable ever since she had remembered what happened to Bambi's mother), and drew out a vial of blue liquid. A mana potion.

Unstopping it, she held it up to her mouth and poured it in, only to stop as she nearly gagged at the taste. It was a noxious mixture of sour and bitter liquid, but Taylor couldn't afford to spit it out. Instead she forced herself to swallow the entire drink and felt her inner strength return.

She needed a way out of the fire, but her options were limited. Maybe if she were better at elemental magic, she could use ice to put it out or if she knew more necromancy she could conjure something to put it out, but she could do neither anywhere near well enough. _'Maybe I could jump out?'_

She considered the possibility. She'd seen Chilanik jump higher and farther than any normal human could, and he claimed that this was a combination of his own physical strength and using his internal mana. Perhaps she could do something similar? Taylor it was better than waiting to see if someone else was going to put out the fire, so she concentrated and focused her power, feeling it flow into her legs as she crouched. Taylor didn't want to end up landing in the fires, so she had to aim carefully. Using her restored sixth sense, she saw that the worn dirt road that they had been travelling on was clear of the fire at the edge of where her limited senses could reach, about twenty feet away as far as she could tell.

She wasn't sure if she could reach that far, but she didn't have much choice. Shambling humanoid figures had emerged from mucky pools of stagnant water a short distance away and were engaging Chilanik, who was still fighting the three Quill Rats that had escaped the blaze she had sent their way. Taylor wasn't sure what those figures were, but with the abandoned farmhouse and the mention of an empty town that Isendra had passed through days ago, she had a bad feeling about them.

However, now wasn't the time to dwell on that so Taylor focused her mana into her legs, feeling tingling pressure build up in her muscles as the power strained to break free.

Gritting her teeth, Taylor pushed off from the ground and jumped, launching into the air as her mana rocketed out of her.

Letting out an involuntary cry at the abrupt acceleration, Taylor began wind milling her arms as she tumbled through the air. Passing over the fire, she inhaled the copious amounts of smoke it was releasing upwards, and started coughing, making it even harder for her to keep track of what was going on as she spun through the air. Then she started feeling gravity's tug reassert herself and she started arcing back towards.

Realizing that no matter how well she posed herself, she was going to hit the ground hard, Taylor tried to think of something, anything that could help her. Closing her eyes in an effort to help her focus, she didn't bother trying to call up the dark mirror so that she could direct her power, but instead pushed it into her body in an effort to help her absorb the impact somehow as she imagined herself becoming tougher. For a brief instant, she felt elation as a sense of vitality flowed through her body. And then she hit the ground and knew nothing.

+OHA+

Taylor groaned as she shifted in where she lay. It was uncomfortable with her aches, but she could feel a blanket on top of her and the heat of the camp fire that crackled nearby. She could also hear voices speaking all around her. Adult voices mostly, but she heard children as well, even a baby crying. This certainly didn't sound like summer camp. And then she remembered where she was, that weird fantasy world.

Taylor started when she remembered her jump over the forest fire and sat up. She was in a large camp. All around her were men, women and children huddling around fires or sitting next to wagons and tents. Some quietly talked and others stared blankly into the distance. Throughout the crowds, women in reddish leather armor with long hair tied back in pony tails and wielding bows patrolled. Beyond the crowds, wagons and tents Taylor could see tall walls made of cut logs erected vertically surrounding the camp, and the corners of the camp had platforms attached so that more of the armored female archers and some men with bows but no armor could stand watch over the areas beyond.

In the distance, Taylor realized that she could make out the repeated clang of metal on metal, though she wasn't sure what the cause was. It vaguely reminded her of one time she had been with her dad in the docks and seen a dockworker trying to hammer straight a piece of bent scrap metal. She didn't remember why he had been doing that. She did remember seeing her dad's smile when she and her mom had come to meet him after work that day.

She sighed and looked down at the blanket that lay across her legs.

"Ah, you're awake," a man said. Taylor looked up at him. He had dusky skin and wore a grey tunic, leggings, and cap, with blue cloth hanging from the cap and wrapped around his upper torso. He also had a blue sash around his waist and sturdy leather boots. "Greetings, stranger. I'm Warriv, a caravan master unable to complete my journey to the East. I've heard your tale from the Necromancer. You have my condolences; it is truly a tragedy to be cast away from one's home and into a strange land, especially in such dark times as these."

Taylor looked up at the man uncertain what to say. Before it could get too awkward, she stood up and held out her hand. "Thanks, I'm Taylor. I heard that the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye or the last Horadrim, um… I don't know his name, but I heard they could help me get home." Taylor looked around. "What's going on here?"

Warriv frowned. "No doubt your companions have told you about the tragedy that befell Tristram." At her confused look he shook his head and continued. "Some say Diablo, the Lord of Terror, walks the world again. I don't know if I believe that, but a Dark Wanderer did travel this route a few days ago. He was headed east to the mountain pass guarded by the Rogue Monastery."

He paused as his eyes momentarily drifted off, seeing scenes remembered before he refocused on Taylor and continued, "Maybe it's nothing, but evil seems to have trailed in his wake. You see, shortly after the Wanderer went through, the Monastery's Gates to the pass were closed and strange creatures began ravaging the countryside. My caravan, along with many of those living in farms and villages in the surround area, were hunted by the creatures and even the normal beasts have begun to act strangely hostile. Even after they were forced out of the Monastery, the Rogues have been doing their best to round up anyone they can find in order to bring them to safety here in the camp." At this he gestured to the crowded camp they were in. "Not everyone has made it, and only a few at a time can be taken elsewhere through the Waypoints, but it is better than out there.

"Until it's safer outside the camp and the gates are reopened, I'll remain here with my caravan. I hope to leave for Lut Gholein before the shadow that befell Tristram consumes us all. If you're still alive then I'll take you along. I imagine that one of the mage clans of the East might be able to better aid you than anyone here," he finished telling her before stroking his chin in thought. "Your friends seem to be the adventuring type, and have gone off to speak with Akara." At that he pointed towards one of the corners of the camp, which Taylor saw was close to one of the two entrances to the camp. "She seems to be the leader of this camp. Maybe she can tell you more."

Taylor absorbed the information for a moment. She had been surprised that people would live anywhere near monsters like Spike Fiends, but if they were driven to attack people by something…. The abandoned farmhouse with its overgrown field and the shambling corpses that had risen out of the pond a mile up the road from it came to her mind again. The story of the more recently abandoned town followed. The people here were scared, she could practically feel it, taste it in the air.

This… wasn't what she'd hoped to find.

She turned back to Warriv, who had gone back to the nearby camp fire where several similarly dressed men and women were clustered, talking among themselves. A large man in gleaming heavy armor and carrying a yellow and white kite shield walked up to Warriv, who greeted the man as Taylor walked over. The man had a strangely reassuring presence, and as she approached, Taylor realized that just by being near him she felt better as the cloying fear that permeated the camp fell away. Even her aches from her bad landing seemed to fade.

"Well met, noble Paladin," Warriv said to the man. "It's been a while since I've seen any of your kind in the west. It would be an honor to aid you in any way that I can."

The Paladin nodded and spoke with a clear, authoritative voice, "Well met to you as well. I have heard dark tidings from Tristram and was sent out to investigate by my order, the Knights of Westmarch. What has become of this place that it is necessary for people to hide behind these walls?"

As Warriv began to relay what Taylor had already heard, she decided to find 'Akara' and her companions. Even with all of these people around her, she would feel more comfortable with the three.

Taylor passed the people huddled in the camp and saw some of the armored women that she supposed were the 'Rogues.' She felt their air of defeat and despair settle around her like a suffocating weight, trying to choke her.

Trying to push the despair away, Taylor focused on the feeling that had emanated from the man, the Paladin. If the Barbarian could use his inner power to become a peerless warrior capable of leaping over tall trees in a single bound, the Necromancer could raise golems and cast out spears of bone, and the Sorceress could call up the elements, perhaps the Paladin too did something with his inner power to help the people around him. And if he could do it, maybe she could too.

Taylor concentrated and grasped at her mana and focused on using it to push away the despair, the defeat, the fear. It was hard, like her power was resisting her almost, but she assumed it was just her inexperience and kept pushing, unwilling to back down. She tried to visualize what she imagined the Paladins stood for, a light in the darkness like that had befallen the land. She tried to reach for that Light, shape her own mana into it, but it continued to resist, more and more as she tried to push away the pall that hung over the camp.

She gritted her teeth in anger at her power not working as the fear crept back. It wasn't working. How was she supposed to do this? The Paladin had radiated calm confidence as he projected that feeling over Taylor and presumably the others. He hadn't needed to force it, at least as far as she could tell.

Maybe that was the trick?

Taylor paused, standing still and drawing in a deep breath. She slowly exhaled, calming herself and trying to think peaceful thoughts. If she could push fire around – even if it nearly killed her – she could do this. She focused on the feeling of reassurance and wellbeing that had come from him. Her mana resisted but she didn't try to fight it into being what she wanted, she just steadily, firmly, calmly pushed at it. Slowly her confidence that it could work rose and her dark mirror of the world began to slowly lighten, though it remained distorted and many details remained unclear.

Taylor was elated that it seemed to be working, or at least doing something, but held back the urge to push her mana hard, instead keeping up the stead pressure to mold it.

Eventually she felt it settle into place within her and begin to radiate outwards and she could see with her sixth sense that the people all around her seemed to perk up slightly as her mana flowed outwards and into them. She'd done it.

Taylor pumped her fist in the air and cheer. "Yes! I did it!"

"Impressive," a man said behind her as metal clanked.

Realizing that she had lost her hold on her sixth sense again, Taylor whirled around to see the Paladin approaching her with a warm smile on his face.

"I have never before seen someone pick up on channeling the Light so easily," Paladin said as he walked reached her. "Of those easily able to pick up the basics of various kinds of magics, few put that versatility to use in the Light." He held up his gauntleted free hand. "However, be careful and do not become overconfident. Though you may yet become a jack of all trades, you will as become a master of none."

Taylor felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and nodded. "I think I already learned that…but I don't really have a choice, do I?"

The Paladin pursed his lips. "With your talent, even without any of the necessary physical training," at this Taylor blushed even more as her skinny figure was pointed out, "you could yet become a fine Paladin. While the Waypoints require great power to use, I could take you to the rest of my order in Westmarch."

Taylor shook her head. "No. Thank you, but I need to find the last Horadrim, or speak with the leader of the Sisterhood. They're the only way I have to return home."

"So, you are the girl Warriv mentioned," the Paladin said. "I had thought so upon seeing you. While my duty to protecting these people comes first, should I have the opportunity I will lend you what aid I can." He held his right hand to right above his heart and bowed slightly at the waist. "I am Sir Cecil of the Knights of Westmarch and Paladin of the Zakarum, at your service."

"Um, I'm Taylor, Taylor Hebert. It's nice to meet you," she replied.

"The pleasure is mine Miss Hebert," he replied as he stood straight. He looked over her shoulder. "Are those your companions?"

Taylro turned and saw Isendra, Chilanik, and the Necromancer – she really needed to learn his name – approaching her through the camp. Isendra waved. "Hello Taylor, it's good to see back on your feet."

"Thanks, Isendra," Taylor replied. "What's going on?"

"We were attacked by Rogues who had been twisted by Andariel during our battle against the Quill Rats and zombies," the Necromancer said, "that is why we could not come to your aid when you were trapped by the flames. It was too well coordinated not to be some form of ambush, and if Andariel has the beasts of this land under her thrall as much as the men, then it makes sense. Especially given what we have learned since arriving at this camp."

"Indeed," Chilanik interjected, "Akara, the high priestess of the Rogues has informed us of a force of darkness that is gathering in a nearby cave." He looked at Sir Cecil. "Paladin, will you aid us?"

"Of course," Sir Cecil agreed, holding up a mailed fist. "Together, we shall cleanse this wilderness."

"Excellent, then let us clear out this den of evil," Isendra said before turning to go. Sir Cecil began to follow after her, though Chilanik and the Necromancer remained unmoving.

Taylor looked between them uncertainly. Were they expecting her to say something? The Necromancer had an unreadable expression on his gaunt face, and Chilanik was grinning.

Before she could do anything, Chilanik stepped forward and pulled a hand axe from his back and held it out to her. "You've already learned enough magic," the Barbarian declared. "If you're going to fight for your way home, then you'll need to learn how to really fight. Take this and I'll teach you how to fight and survive like my people."

"Thank you," Taylor said as she took hold of the hand axe and hefted it in her right hand. It was heavy even just to hold, so she switched to a two handed grip.

"No, hold it like this," Chilanik chided her, and he moved her hands into position on the handle of the axe.

"Thanks," Taylor said, tearing her eyes away from the Barbarian's bare, muscled chest. She turned slightly away and experimentally swung the axe a few times, adjusting as she received corrections from Chilanik. It was tiring, but after what felt like hours but was probably much shorter, Taylor was confident that she could swing the axe properly.

Panting, Taylor turned to look at the Necromancer, who had been sitting on a crate watching while playing with some sort of ghostly blue-green flame.

"Why are you here with us?" Taylor asked him. "I'd've thought you would be out there with Isendra and Cecil."

The Necromancer shrugged. "Your display with the fire was impressive for an amateur, but I think it's a good idea that I teach you a spell that won't nearly kill you." Taylor's face heated up again in a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

"It worked!" she objected.

"That it did," the Necromancer agreed in an amused tone. "However, you clearly need the ability to cast a proper combat spell, and the teeth of Rathma are exactly that. Normally the proper use of necromantic magic in my order requires a lengthy initiation to get properly attuned with its power, but I have a feeling that you will be a quick study."

"He relies on the magic of death, but at least his magic is less liable to nearly burn down a forest," Chilanik grunted.

Taylor shot Chilanik a glare as the Necromancer stepped forward, holding out the ghostly flame in his hand. Upon closer examination, Taylor could see faint faces appear and disappear within the ghostly fire and she could feel a strange sensation that wasn't quite a chill crawl up her back at its proximity. It was odd. She felt as though she should be unnerved, and she was, but at the same time there was a sense of familiarity. Taylor assumed it was because of her close proximity to the Necromancer since she had arrived in Sanctuary.

"Necromancy is a magic of life and death," the Necromancer explained. "With it, we are guardians of this world, we maintain the Balance between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells so that humanity may thrive and find their own path here." He smiled slightly. "This calls on us to defend against the forces of Hell more often than those of Heaven though." His smile fell away. "There are demons who use this art for foul ends, but though it is a dark magic, it is used to protect this world and mortal free will. IF you endeavor to learn this magic you too must take up the mantle of protector of the Balance and protect humanity, here or on you own world."

Taylor looked at the ghostly fire and then met his sunken eyes. She'd always dreamed of being a hero, if she intended to master her powers, how could she say no? "I promise I'll use my powers to protect people and free will."

The Necromancer looked at her with searching eyes for a long moment. Taylor fought down the urge to fidget and tried to focus on the feeling of calm confidence she got from mimicking the Paladin's power. "Good enough," he finally said, before turning and walking towards the nearby camp entrance. He waved for her to follow. "Come; let us practice your necromancy."

Chilanik nodded. "Good, I was about to suggest we go out." Noticing Taylor's questioning look he continued, "You needed to train with your axe and zombies are slow."

Taylor's grip on the axe tightened.

+OHA+

Taylor cried out in fear as she scrambled away from the zombie. Just moments ago it had been slowly shambling in her general direction as she cautiously approached, but then it suddenly charged at her, swinging its rotting hands. She barely managed to avoid its grasp and knock its hands away with an axe blow to its left forearm, spinning the animated carcass to the right slightly.

"Go for the head!" Chilanik bellowed from where he watched a dozen feet away. His shout briefly distracted the zombie before it refocused on the closer target, her.

Screaming partly in fear, Taylor held her hand axe up over her head and brought it down on the zombie's. The axe caught in its head as it staggered back, nearly causing Taylor to lose her grip.

"Pull it out!" Chilanik shouted at her and she growled, set her left foot against the left leg of the slowly reacting zombie and heaved on the axe's handle. With a sickening pop, the axe came free and Taylor stumbled back, barely staying on her feet.

"Take it down with a Teeth spell," the Necromancer shouted in suggestion from where he stood with his iron golem next to the Barbarian.

"Don't listen to him, magic is for the weak!" Chilanik countered as Taylor backed away from a clumsy swing by the zombie. "Hit him again, and this time put your back into it!"

Taylor growled and concentrated on focusing her mana. She still wasn't good at keeping her sixth sense focused when she was being distracted, especially by rotting undead monsters that smelled truly awful with their putrefied stench, but she didn't need to keep it long. She let go of the axe with her left hand and focused her mana into her open palm, causing Chilanik to throw his hands in the air and groan. Two gleaming fangs of white energy took shape in her hand and she could feel the spell straining to be set free. Taylor quickly held her hand up in the direction of the zombie and released the spell at the monster.

The fangs sunk into either side of its chest and exploded into nothingness with surprisingly soft bangs, knocking the zombie off its feet and onto the ground.

Taylor sighed with relief and let her axe fall to her side. It hadn't been so bad when she'd practiced the spell on some rocks and sparred with Chilanik – even though he had insisted on both her using axe without covering the edge and him hitting her hard with his fists – but then they had sent her out against a zombie the Rogues had seen wandering within sight of the Encampment. The thing was disgusting and noxious, and she had immediately regretted agreeing to attack it.

At least it was finally over. '_I suppose that wasn't too bad for my first zombie_,' she thought to herself as she smiled at her victory.

"Get back!" the Necromancer shouted at the same time Chilanik bellowed, "Finish him!"

Taylor looked down to see the zombie was picking itself back up. She shrieked and jumped backwards, dropping her axe in surprise. Holding up her hand again, she concentrated on pulling her mana into it again and forming it into two more fangs.

Since hitting it in the chest hadn't done much, Taylor decided that she needed to do something more to put it down. She held out her hand and aimed at the zombie's head. Its cloudy dead eyes focused on her and it began to charge again, but Taylor held her ground and fired, both Teeth hitting the zombie in the jaw, knocking its head clean off. The zombie staggered and collapsed again and this time Taylor made sure it would stay down by focusing on forming her mana into elemental fire until she had a tennis ball of flames hovering in her hand. Seeing the body twitch, its hands starting to grasp at the grassy moor upon which it lay, Taylor sent the bolt of fire into the zombie's body and stepped back as the fire scorched its back to little effect.

She looked up at where her two 'teachers' were watching from a safe distance. "How do I kill this thing!?" she demanded as the zombie started to push itself up again.

"This is only a lesser form of undead, its animating magic should have dispersed by now," the Necromancer called out in reply. "I believe Andariel's influence on this land is bolstering their strength."

"Just keep hitting it until it goes down," Chilanik cheerily suggested. "It being tougher than it should be just means you'll get more practice!"

Taylor picked up the axe and hefted it in her hands as she considered her options. She was already tired, both physically and mentally, so she couldn't keep this up much longer. Maybe she could lure it towards her 'teachers?' No, they'd just move away. Even with the zombie's bursts of speed when it closed, it wouldn't follow fast enough.

Perhaps she could help it?

Chilanik had leapt great distances, and she'd seen him knock that Quill Rat into a tree. Sure he was ridiculously strong, but maybe that was something his mana helped with. Taylor gripped her axe in two hands and hefted it, concentrating and sending most of the remaining mana she could grasp into the axe. Taylor stepped up to the almost upright zombie and swung her axe like she was trying to hit a home run, which in a sense she was.

Her axe hit the zombie with a bang and the undead abomination flew towards the two adventurers before landing half way between them and Taylor, who immediately skipped back.

The zombie slowly stood up as Chilanik scowled and the Necromancer laughed. "Good job, Taylor," the Necromancer congratulated, "clever girl."

Chilanik nodded in agreement. "Indeed it was intelligent, though unnecessary." The zombie started shuffling towards them since they were now closer by half as Taylor had carefully and quickly backed away.

"I'm tired and sore!" Taylor shouted back.

"Drink a health potion!" Chilanik shouted as he picked up his two handed axe which he had buried in a handy boulder when he had settled back to watch her fight earlier.

"It's late and she's right not to waste them," the Necromancer replied loudly enough for Taylor to hear, "using potions to forgo sleep is unhealthy and should only be done when absolutely necessary." His deathly pale face stretched in a rictus grin. "I know from experience." He casually gestured towards the zombie and a shining spear of bone shot out of his hand and tore it apart before Chilanik even got the chance to swing at it.

"Hail!" Taylor heard Cecil cry out from the distance. He and Isendra were slowly walking towards them.

"Back already?" Chilanik cried out. "I would have thought it would take you longer!"

"We ran into a problem," Isendra replied as they all started walking to meet each other in the middle. "The cave where they've laired is full to the brim with Fallen and zombies. Farsi's outpost has managed to keep up a picket to ward off their fallen sisters, but these lesser demons have managed to slip through in numbers, along with their shamans. If we are to put them down fast enough to get through the shamans, we need more people."

Cecil nodded. "Her magics can destroy the bodies so that the demon shamans cannot raise them, but their numbers are great enough to cause even a trained Paladin concern."

"All of us together with some Rogues at the back to provide cover fire could work," the Necromancer mused. "How clear is the cave itself?"

"Winding tunnels," Cecil informed him, "but there are clear spaces where they gather. The Rogues are trained enough with their bows that they should be able to provide us cover and take down the shamans that we cannot reach."

"Bah! We do not need them, and they are busy defending the camp," Chilanik corrected. "We will go in there without them, and we shall emerge victorious."

They others shared a look but Cecil nodded. "You're right. After the casualties they've maintained, they don't have left enough to spare to an assault like that without leaving the camp dangerously undefended. We must go ourselves."

"Taylor can remain at the back and watch for stragglers," the Necromancer suggested. "She's been practicing with some basic spells and her skill with an axe."

Taylor swallowed as she thought about going into a cave full of demons and undead, all at least as tough as the zombie she hadn't even managed to kill despite the fact that it was one of the 'lesser forms of undead.' She shivered at the thought. "Um. Can we go back to camp first?"

Isendra nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yes, I brought down the cave entrance with ice and a meteor. It will take them some time to clear the way out."

"Okay, good," Taylor said as she immediately began to make her way back to camp. Idle childhood fantasies of being a hero and saving people's lives aside, Taylor was not looking forward to tomorrow, but she couldn't say no. Not really. Not after seeing that camp full of fear and despair at their lives being ruined and their families hunted by monsters. Her companions were good, but if she didn't help them watch their backs, the demons might be able to ambush them or overwhelm and trap them or some of the monsters might escape and make their way to the camp.

Taylor hadn't seen the monsters actually try to attack the camp, but she'd seen the wrecked cart partially blocking the bridge they'd crossed into the moor, she'd seen the weary eyes of the Rogues on her way out, and the burnt out bonfire beside the bridge which she was now sure that she had seen bones inside of its ashes. She couldn't ignore the empty farmhouse visible in the distance across the moor.

Even if Taylor didn't like it, she didn't think she could look Dad and Emma in the eyes if she didn't try to help protect those people. She looked down at her axe and tightened her grip. Tomorrow, she had monsters to kill.

+OHA+

A/N It sounds bad, but the Rogue's Encampment is actually better than the canon one, since at some of the people who got killed by monsters and eaten or turned into undead in canon were rescued by the surviving Rogues. All those empty buildings and random corpses you run across had a cause after all. If you still think this version of the Rogue's Encampment sounds grim, just wait for Lut Gholein, or, better yet, Kurast, a major port, capital of a sizable country and center of a major world religion that got reduced to a few sections full of fanatical mind-slaves and everything else reduced to jungle-buried ruins. Thousands, probably even tens of thousands, had to have died in and around there by then end of Mephisto's reign when the Heroes come knocking.


	3. The Cold, Dark Earth

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_**3\. The Cold, Dark Earth**_

They woke up with the dawn and ate in silence. Taylor hadn't slept well that night, her dreams filled with nightmares of rotting hands reaching for her from within an inferno as quills shot past.

However, by using the Paladin's aura, she was able to clear her head of the lingering cobwebs of sleep in time to sit down beside the main campfire with the rest of her impromptu group. She silently took the offered bowl of oatmeal and jerky and ate as the others talked.

"I will lead the way," Chilanik declared. "You two may be worried by the numbers, but the Fallen are petty creatures and I fear them not. While the Paladin and I keep them occupied, you two will focus on the shamans and any groups that try to slip past." That last comment was directed to Isendra and the Necromancer.

"Agreed, we are both suited to being in the thick of battle," Sir Cecil agreed. "I shall shift my aura to that of Holy Shock, to smite any foes that draw near any of us." Taylor was grateful for that assurance of added protection. She knew that of the team, she was really the only one liable to need it.

"Elemental Frost is the easiest way for my magics to render the Fallen unraisable by freezing them solid and then shattering them," Isendra commented. "I have two powerful spells that will help with this, however some of their effects can be… indiscriminate. They are blizzard, which rains Ice Bolts on an area, and Frost Orb, which is an orb that will send out Ice Bolts at all enemies in the area. AS I focused my studies on Fire and to a lesser degree, Lightning, my Cold magic is not as developed as it could be. However, I believe that it will be sufficient for our purposes."

"Very well," the Necromancer agreed. "The Teeth of Rathma and Bone Spears will help clear crowds, but my Curses will help our group more by weakening their mobs and sowing chaos." He looked to Taylor. "Despite us all having our sixth senses, most of our focus will be on holding off and eliminating our enemies at the front. You will stay back and make sure that none attempt to flank us."

"I will," Taylor agreed. She wanted to help, but was relieved that she wouldn't have to face the monsters herself. If each of them could match Isendra's display in their own way, then she felt confident that nothing could stop them.

"Good," the Necromancer agreed. "Our plan is fairly simple, so let's leave once you're finished. We can talk on the way."

Sir Cecil stood up and looked at their party. "With your aid, I shall cleanse this wilderness."

+OHA+

Over an hour later, they were crouched behind some brush a short distance at the entrance to the cave that Andariel's forces were using as a forward base. Taylor had been surprised that the cave was so close, given the muddy land of the moor with its numerous creaks and ponds. In fact, it was almost swampy. Bugs buzzed in the air, but as Taylor and the heroes marched along the raised dirt road, she began to wonder about why there weren't more. As far as Taylor could tell, it was summer here in this part of Sanctuary as well.

"Shouldn't there be more bugs in the air?" Taylor asked. "Back on Earth there would be mosquitoes everywhere in a place like this." The reminder of Earth brought the darkness creeping at the edges of her mind back in full force.

"You are not used to the countryside, are you?" the Isendra asked. "These moors are too cool for that, and many animals tend to either hibernate or leave areas that have been greatly tainted by demonic magic. Not all, obviously, as we were able to find game, but all living things can sense demonic magic on some level even if they are not aware of it."

"Though not all have the sense to stay away from it, do they Paladin?" the Necromancer asked.

Cecil frowned before lowering his visor. "No, they do not. That is why champions of the Light are needed."

"Or at least champions of humanity," the Necromancer replied before turning towards the path that led towards the cave.

It was clear that Isendra had employed her fire magic extensively. For what looked like several acres, the land had been scorched. The small, rocky hillock at the end of this branch of the path had a pile of boulders. It was clear that the demons had been working on moving it, as several short literally red-skinned creatures with scimitars and ponytails were gathered around a mob of zombies that were either slowly picking at the outside end of the rubble or pulling them out of place.

"This must have been a group that was already in the Blood Moor or was at least close by," the Necromancer commented. "Should we clear them out now or let them open the way for us?"

"We don't we just leave them buried?" Taylor asked. She had been wondering about it for a while, but hadn't worked up the courage to ask them. They were nice, but seeing how casually they dispatched the assorted monsters that they had encountered was intimidating.

"Demons don't have strict requirements for what they need to eat," the Paladin replied. "They will survive buried there until either they dig their way out or someone is foolish enough to do it for them. Killing them now will purge their presence and allow the land to heal without their evil festering under the earth."

"I imagine that a place named the Blood Moor has enough evil in its history," Isendra agreed.

"Alright," Taylor agreed.

Isendra pointed to one of the Fallen that that was waving a banner around. "Do you see him?" At Taylor's nod, the sorceress continued, "That is a shaman. As long as he lives, he can raise even the most burnt or battered of dead comrades to return to battle."

"Then I shall slay him," Chilanik declared. "The priest and I shall lead the way as we agreed, the rest of you support us." Upon seeing their agreement, he leapt into the air and came crashing down around two hundred feet away in the midst of the Fallen and the zombies. He threw back his head and roared, causing the Fallen to scatter in fear as Chilanik knocked the shaman to the ground.

"Impatient barbarian," Cecil muttered before charging after him.

Isendra gestured and three snakelike beings of fire emerged from the ground near the Fallen. The summoned creatures reared their heads back and spat out fire bolts at the panicked Fallen. Isendra gestured three more times and each time three more of the snakes emerged from the ground.

_The three heads are each one creature_, Taylor realized. Then she noticed that the Fallen had stopped running and had started attacking each other as the fire snakes, Chilanik and Cecil cut a swath through them.

Feeling left out, Taylor focused her sixth sense and concentrated on _fire_ and conjured a small fire bolt into her hands. The Fallen were out of the reach of her sixth sense, but she could still fire it in the direction of the cluster of zombies. Chilanik was fighting them after having dispatched the shaman, but she didn't think that her fire bolt could actually hurt him. Well, she didn't expect it to do much against the zombies, but she didn't want to be dead weight either.

She held her hand towards the zombies and pushed the fiery mana that composed the fire bolt at them. It shot off across the moor past several of the restless dead to collide with the head of one at the back.

Taylor pumped her fist. It wasn't much, but from over two hundred feet away, she had staggered a zombie with one of her weak fire bolts.

Then she noticed the faint flames emanating out in rings from near Chilanik. Taylor looked to the resident expert on magical fire, Isendra. "What's that?"

"It's a Meteor," Isendra replied. "With focus, I can make sure that my fires don't burn some people within, though it is something many sorceresses take time to master, and even I have trouble doing it for more than a couple of people at a time. It's a skill that you will need to learn eventually, if only to avoid burning yourself alive with some of these spells."

Taylor flinched at that. That would be a bad way to go. She opened her mouth to reply, when she heard a descending roar joined by a red glare from above noticeable even during the day.

Reacting as quickly as she could, Taylor ducked and covered her ears.

Less than a second later, a deafening roar shook the ground and rattled Taylor's bones followed by a wave of heat that washed over her.

Picking herself up from where she'd fallen over, Taylor looked around at the inferno that had once been a battlefield. Taylor blinked. Sir Cecil was running through the flames without apparent care and Chilanik smashed a burning figure into the ground before throwing his head into the air and laughing raucously.

Taylor stared in shock. Either Isendra really had been able to protect them, or they were that superhumanly tough. Then an unsettling thought occurred to Taylor and she quickly turned to where Isendra stood with one hand on her staff and one on her hip, surveying her handiwork.

"You're not doing anything like that underground, are you?" Taylro asked with an edge of panic in her voice.

Isendra laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry about it Taylor," she replied before swiping her free hand at the ground, somehow snuffing out the meteor-created flames.

Taylor reluctantly followed, all too aware that Isendra hadn't actually answered.

+OHA+

The charred field was still smoking by the time Taylor joined the others in front of the boulders that blocked the cave's entrance.

The Necromancer walked up the collapsed rocks and slowly inhaled. He turned to where Isendra stood beside Chilanik and Sir Cecil. "I sense… death in the place."

Isendra raised an eyebrow and swept her hand to indicate the field of burnt undead and demon corpses.

"Not that," the Necromancer retorted. "Death has settled here for days, possibly even weeks. I believe this is where many zombies have gathered and been raised. I would not be surprised if a powerful undead were drawing others to it here."

"Though demonic taint is itself rare these days," Sir Cecil said before amending, "well, used too unless we stop Andariel and the Dark Wanderer, it is common for unusually powerful undead to rise at the site of mass deaths and gather others of its ilk to itself."

"Then we shall slay it and put a stop to its gathering!" Chilanik declared. He stepped up to the middle of the pile of boulders and drew back two large axes in order to strike.

Sir Cecil turned to where Taylor stood behind the others. "Evil dwells within this cave, and it will not go quietly."

"Good!" Chilanik shouted before hitting the rubble hard with a mana enhanced blow. With a crack and a boom, the rocks were knocked back into the caves and dust filled the air.

Isendra thrust out her left hand and a thick torrent of flame spewed into the mouth of the cave. After several seconds, she relented.

"Did you sense something?" Taylor asked as Chilanik leapt into the cave mouth with a war cry.

"No," Isendra replied, shaking her head, "but this place is trouble. We were nearly overwhelmed before."

"Then we should go and aid the Barbarian and the Zakarumite," the Necromancer told her. "No matter how much he might boast about his skill with weapons, I doubt that one Barbarian warrior is sufficient where a sorceress is not."

Isendra hummed. "Yes, we should." She then gestured, fire sparking off of her hands and dissipating.

Taylor looked around to see that Sir Cecil had joined Chilanik in the cave. The Necromancer was following them with his golem trailing behind. He glanced back at Taylor. "Brace yourself."

"Wha-" Taylor started to say before she saw and heard another meteor coming down towards the hillock. She turned to Isendra and shouted, "What are you doing?!"

"It will go through the ground," the sorceress explained with an amused smile.

Taylor was too close to where it would land. Taylor crouched and covered her ears. Maybe Isendra was right in that she could protect Taylor from the flames, but after seeing the massive fiery explosions two times now, Taylor had a hard time believing it. Fear gnawed at her as she tried to think of something, anything. Maybe ice magic could help? In what to her were possibly the last few moments of her life, she concentrated on Cold wrapping around her, to shield her and protect her from the flames. She felt her mana take on the aspect of Frost and begin to swirl around her as the meteor landed and… passed through the ground.

"You've mastered Frozen Armor all by yourself!" Isendra exclaimed. "And without any prompting from me. I'm impressed."

Taylor drew in a ragged breath and tried to calm her nerves. "Uh, thanks."

"Stop wasting time you two!" the Necromancer called out from the cave entrance.

"Right, sorry!" Taylor shouted back as she and Isendra jogged over.

"What's the situation in there?" Isendra called out. "I can't sense anyone else in my range."

Taylor slowed to a walk and focused her sixth sense. Chilanik and Sir Cecil were in a chamber immediately within the cave's entrance, each standing guard at either of the two exits from the cave. Sir Cecil was off to Taylor's right and Chilanik was straight ahead at the farthest point of the chamber.

"There are many foes here…" Chilanik said, trailing off.

As Taylor crossed into the cave, she saw why: at both tunnels were what looked like a tide of undead pouring towards them.

"This is somewhat more than I had anticipated," the Necromancer remarked dryly and without apparent concern. He began gesturing and suddenly the twin charges stopped as the zombies and what looked like skeletons began attacking each other.

_I suppose he really _isn't_ concerned about it then_, Taylor thought.

"What?!" Chilanik roared. "I'm right here!" He then _leapt_ into the midst of the undead, knocking several over, before howling out a challenge to them for what to Taylor seemed inexplicable reasons. That many of the undead turned their focus from each other to him made her question him even more.

"Prepare for Holy Shock!" Sir Cecil called out, and suddenly Taylor felt an electric buzz crawling across her skin and through the air around her. Taylor found it both reassuring in the protection it offered and… agitated for a moment before she focused on calming the churning darkness that had consumed her sixth sense until it was clear again.

Instead of think about the aura and her reaction to it, Taylor turned her attention to the ongoing battle. With the Necromancer turning the undead against each other, Chilanik was free to cut a swath through them. He was like a whirlwind of death, constantly cutting down any who neared him. Taylor found it mesmerizing until a massive explosion shook the tunnel and engulfed the Barbarian and the undead he fought in raging flames.

Taylor turned to Isendra, who called down another Meteor somewhere. _What are you thinking?!_ "Aren't you worried about the explosions?" Taylor asked Isendra.

"Don't worry, my Meteors aren't going to bring this cave down," Isendra assured Taylor. "I've been mastering these magics for all of my life, I know what it will take to destroy the roof's support. As my Cold magic is my least skilled, I plan on saving it until it is actually needed, and Fire is my best element."

"Okay…" Taylor looked to Sir Cecil, who stood amidst the undead as an immovable bulwark, holding and even pushing them back.

Then a meteor exploded near the Paladin and the tunnel was consumed in fire. He held his position for a moment, but apparently he saw no one else in that direction because he turned around and headed back to where Taylor and the other two held position.

"I saw signs of a Fallen encampment in a chamber beyond the undead," he called out as he walked over. "They did not join their 'comrades' in battle and are notoriously cowardly when at a disadvantage."

"It would be a pain to hunt down a band of them on the moor," the Necromancer commented, "though I suppose we could leave the stragglers to the Rogues and anyone else who follows. Our priority should be on defeating Andariel and what will aid us in the cause. Somehow, I doubt tedious trudging all over the wilderness will help us to that end."

Sir Cecil shook his head. "These monsters are here now. I will not pass by an opportunity to cleanse the world of their darkness and by that protect Sanctuary from Evil."

"If you insist, Zakarumite," the Necromancer agreed with a harrowing scowl. "So long as you use our terrain to keep them from surrounding you it shouldn't be much harder for you, though you will be without our support should something go wrong."

"I shall go with him," Isendra interjected. "My ice and fire will help him purge this den of evil. You should take Taylor and follow Chilanik. He will need your support."

The Necromancer's scowl deepened. "Splitting our spell power like this could weaken our group." He looked to Sir Cecil. "But if you're careful, then it could make this battle easier." He started walking after Chilanik, who could be heard mocking some Fallen up ahead. "Come Taylor, I shall show you more of the power of the Cult of Rathma."

Taylor looked between the retreating back of the Necromancer and Isendra. "Go on, Taylor," Isendra told her. "You'll be safe with them, and we'll be fine."

"You had to retreat last time," Taylor countered.

"But we did not have the three of you to keep them separated," Sir Cecil countered. "So long as the Light guides our path, we will triumph."

Taylor sighed. "Okay… but I'd like to stay with you two next time. I don't like their teaching methods."

Isendra laughed. "Very well, Taylor. We shall be your companions the next time we split up."

With that, the two heroes left down the right-hand corridor and Taylor followed the sounds of battle.

The tunnel was filled with charred and dismembered dead. Taylor had seen the slain undead and animals before, but even on her way to the entrance of the cave it had been from a distance. Here, the charnel house was in her face, a stench sickeningly similar to pork mingling with despoiled and rotten meat.

Taylor tried to cover her mouth, but it didn't block out the smell. It wormed its way into her mouth and nose until it was all she could smell or taste.

She collapsed to the ground, gagging on rising gorge until she vomited in the tainted cavern floor. She emptied her stomach and continued dry heaving for… she didn't know how long.

Eventually she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Wiping her mouth, Taylor looked up from where she crouched to see the sunk, gaunt face of the Necromancer twisted in pity. "We could use a lookout outside."

Taylor started to inhale more of the putrid air before stopping herself and nodding gratefully to him. "I… "

"We should not have brought you here, child," he said, cutting her off. "Go and wait for us outside."

Taylor started to push herself to her feet and the Necromancer helped pull her up. She opened and closed her mouth, torn about what to do. But, in the end they were so far beyond her abilities that there really wasn't anything that she could contribute here.

Taylor's shoulders slumped as she made her way back out of the cave.

+OHA+

She found her way to the gnarled roots of a charred tree that perched atop the hillock. Even there, the smell reached her, and far too many of the sights that she had seen since her arrival drifted through her mind. She wondered if they would ever leave her now, or if it would cling to her like evil tainted the lands she had been banished too.

She wondered if she'd ever see home. But, there really wasn't anything that she could do, was there?

And so she sat, her eyes unfocused on anything before them.

The sun rose high in the sky and began its descent towards the western horizon, but despite the hour Taylor couldn't muster up an appetite. Nearly being killed twice before even reaching the Rogues, only to find out that her only hope of finding a way back was so far out of reach… nearly dying again…

She didn't want her childhood dream of being a hero anymore. She wanted to go home, to see Dad, and Emma… Mom, even though she was dead.

Taylor curled up under the tree, closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees as tears streamed down her face.

+OHA+

"Wake up," a warm voice asked of her.

Taylor blinked. She was sore from remaining curled up on the gnarled roots for so long. She sat up and stretched her arms as she looked at the person that had awoken her.

It was Sir Cecil, crouched before her with an expression of concern on his face. "I'm sorry," he told her.

"For what?" Taylor asked, confused.

"You're just a child, despite your quick grasp of magic," he said. "You're what? Thirteen? Fourteen? And form your build, I'm guess that you are used to the peaceful life of a merchant's daughter?"

Taylor looked down at the ashen ground. "My Dad's the Head of Hiring for the Dockworker's Union back home…but, yeah. This is… nothing like back home."

Sir Cecil sighed. "I should not have let them bring you along. I set out to become a Paladin so that people lie you would not have to face these horrors, and in my zeal I forgot why I do this. It would be best if you remained back at camp from now on."

Taylor opened and closed her mouth. He was right, they didn't need her help, did they?

"Nonsense!" Chilanik shouted as he landed beside them. "Taylor here may not be ready for battle, but she has great potential as a warrior. Why, she had no prior experience with an axe and was using it like any member of my clan her age. She can become a great warrior, but how can she prove her mettle if she does not come with us?"

"T-thanks," Taylor stammered to Chilanik.

"Any time," he replied cheerfully.

Footsteps crunched up the burnt hill as Ishendra and the Necromancer made their way up.

"This cave has been purged of evil," the Sorceress declared. "We should return to the Rogues' encampment to inform Akara and Kashya of our victory."

Chilanik surveyed their surroundings before adding in a harder tone of voice, "The Rogues are safe…for now."

"Is that enough to earn the Rogues' trust?" the Necromancer asked.

Sir Cecil stood and said, "It will have to be. Their assistance will be invaluable in making our way through the wilderness and to the monastery." He started down the hill and gestured for the others to follow. "Come. With your aid, my duty here is done. But this is far from over."

Taylor picked herself up and focused on her hands, watching the fire that leapt into being there. _No, it isn't_.


End file.
